With over 20 years of experience covering the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter, Dale Lolley will let you know the insider scoop. Dale can also be heard on the Steelers radio network pre-game show on WDVE-FM game days and Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. on ESPN 970-AM and WDVE during the season as a host of the Antonio Brown Show. Follow him on Twitter at @dlolleyor

Friday, September 06, 2013

Who I like, Tennessee version

The Steelers have won 10 consecutive home openers, the longest streak in the NFL. Included in that streak is all six under Mike Tomlin.

Pittsburgh was embarrassed last year in Tennessee, particularly on defense. And the defense is fired up this season to improve all the way around.

I expect the Steelers to get plenty of pressure on Jake Locker and force him into some mistakes.

The Steelers are 7-point favorites in this one.

I like Pittsburgh, 24-13.

@ Le'Veon Bell, to no one's surprise, is listed as out for this game. Heath Miller is doubtful.

Fullback Will Johnson, who missed most of the week with a hamstring injury, is probable, as are Jarvis Jones and defensive end Brett Keisel, who missed practice Friday for personal reasons.

@ One of the most difficult things for NFL teams to do is assimilate outside players into a new system. It's not bad if you're only doing it with one or two new players. But when you're doing it with several, it just never seems to work.

We saw that again Thursday night with Baltimore's trouncing at the hands of Denver.

The Ravens are breaking in eight new starters, a number of who came in as free agents from other teams.

For example, it took the 2012 Ravens 10 games to allow seven touchdowns passes. This group accomplished that in one game.

Baltimore has talent, much like the Redskins always seemed to have when they went out and signed every free agent available when Daniel Snyder took over the team.

13 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Are you hinting that the Steelers might have some chemistry issues? Since the Steelers have so many new faces also. I glad most of those new faces are back ups for now. I think this season comes down to health of the starters and Ben's patience within the new offense. Hopefully he keeps getting better at the timing of the short passing game

In every case above, the replacement player was already with the team last year. Bell and Jones MIGHT eventually be starters, but every team faces that with their rookies. We just don't really have it with our starters though.

The Steelers were embarrassed against Tennessee, "particularly on defense"?

Not saying they had a great game, and Harrison-v-Cook was a stupid idea, but they allowed 1 TD drive and 4 FG drives. That's not too embarrassing. If you think it is, your standards are astronomically high because your defense is so incredible.

I thought the special teams and coaching was the most embarrassing part of that game. A blocked punt that gave the Titans 1st and goal on the 1, and a foolish 54 yard field goal attempt that cost us a chance at overtime.

I guess you could argue that if the defense was going to do its job, they should hold Tennessee to a FG when the drive starts 1st and goal from the 1. But that'd be pretty retarded, like saying the defense let the offense down last year by not getting enough sacks and turnovers, no matter how few points and yards they allowed.

I don't know, anonymous. Multiple Steelers defenders have talked about how disappointed they were in their performance last year. I would agree that the offense was worse, at least in the second half of the year, but for as few yards as the defense gave up they were well below the line in sacks, turnovers, and "splash plays". And no member of the team is going to say they're happy with that, coaches or players.

Everyone harps on turnovers, but sometimes they are just more good luck than anything. A ball bounces a different way or it doesn't roll right to the only opposition player near it in a pile of our guys and so on.

Defense doesn't allow yards or points. That means our offense has to score minimal points in order to win. They can't. Defense's fault for not making it even easier.

By the same token, I hope that if our offense scores 40 points per game this year, but finishes 22nd in time of possession because they score so quickly, that Dale and Kyle harp on them for making it so hard on our defense. After all, they shouldn't make the defense stay out there on the field working. They should make their job easier by giving them less work to do, in addition to making their job easier by requiring the other team to overcome incredibly difficult odds. Stupid embarrassing 40 point offense.

This game terrifies me. They have a rebuilt offensive line and a ton of weapons at the offensive skill positions. I don't trust Locker one bit. But if we let them hang around, settle for field goals instead of TDs, give them a chance at the end of the game (i.e. the last five years)... it only takes one of those WR's or RB Johnson to make a play and squeak it out.

The Steelers defense was not the best scoring defense. It was sixth which certainly isn't bad but let's not pretend giving up 10 points to the Titans in the final four minutes is a good effort. I don't blame the 8-8 record on the defense. The offense was worse than the defense by a fair amount (which I've already said but don't let that screw up your pissy comment) but the defense needs to get more sacks and more turnovers. Considering every defensive coach on the team has said that and just about every player, there might be something to it, no?